Taiwan researchers develop stress-releasing lactic fermented drink

2012/07/18 20:52:48

Taipei, July 18 (CNA) A Taiwanese research team said Wednesday that it has developed a lactic fermented drink containing a high level of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) that can be used as a stress-releasing food supplement.

Tsai Guo-jane, a professor of food science at National Taiwan Ocean University, said her research team successfully developed the drink in a project last year.

Tsai said the rice residues, on which cordyceps militaris is grown for commercial use, are normally dumped as waste after the fungus is harvested.

Based on the concept of recycling, the research team ground the used rice with water before adding lactic acid bacteria from fish intestines into the solution, she said, noting that two days of fermentation resulted in a GABA-rich lactic acid bacteria.

Due to GABA's ability to lower blood pressure and calm nervous tension, the team made a fermented drink with the GABA-rich lactic acid bacteria, Tsai said, adding animal trials have proven the new drink's function as a natural tranquilizer.

When GABA-rich lactic acid bacteria is used in a beverage, it can supplement the amino acids that human bodies need,”Tsai said.

In the future, she hopes that the drink can be used in the production of anti-depression food supplements, she added.

According to Tsai, the research team will formally release the research results at the Bio Taiwan 2012 exhibition on July 26.